Boynton Beach Police will honor its officer, detective and civilian of the quarter during an awards ceremony Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Intracoastal Park Clubhouse.
Two citizens who risked their safety to help an officer save the life of a suicidal woman will also be recognized.
Ramiro Alegria is the officer of the quarter. In January, he attempted a traffic stop on a black Mitsubishi Galant. The car fled and a short pursuit followed, but quickly ended because it was a traffic violation. Ten minutes later, Captain Michael Kelley located the car behind the Inlet Inn. A traffic stop yielded a positive identification by Alegria on the driver and a marijuana pipe. The next day, a concerned citizen called police back to the Inlet Inn where a firearm had been found. Alegria, who is a probationary officer with no previous experience, took it upon himself to secure a DNA search warrant. The warrant was then executed and an oral standard was obtained from the driver’s mouth.
In February, Alegria conducted a traffic stop on a silver Chevy Cavalier that failed to stop at a four way intersection. Due to multiple furtive movements by the driver, Alegria felt it necessary to conduct a felony stop. Additional units arrived and made contact with the driver, a three-time convicted felon who said there was a firearm in the car. Officers located the stolen black Beretta handgun on the rear passenger floor board. While in the booking area, Alegria made cordial conversation with the driver, who told him that he had potential information about a homicide in the city. The information was provided to the detective bureau, which is following up on what may be a very credible lead into the unsolved shooting death of Daniel Wallace.
In March, Alegria initiated a traffic stop on a 2002 Infiniti for numerous traffic infractions. Due to multiple furtive movements by the driver, Alegria felt it necessary to conduct a felony stop. The driver was removed from the vehicle and officers discovered 130 grams of marijuana in his pants.
Investigator Evelyn McCoy is the detective of the quarter. Investigator McCoy began her temporary rotation in the Investigative Services Section in August 2015 and immediately immersed herself into her work. She is a unit workhorse, conducting multiple successful investigations. Many of these cases have resulted in the arrest of multiple offenders, and the application of several capias/warrants.
McCoy also undertook the difficult task of investigating cases of a political nature, which require tact and trust. Whether the case is simple or involves extremely challenging complainants, her efforts have yielded a nearly 40 percent positive conclusion rate.
In addition to her normal duties McCoy volunteered to work in an undercover capacity during two organized prostitution operations. She trains and mentors other female officers on how to conduct themselves during decoy work. Her efforts during these operations resulted in the 17 arrests.
Records Technician Mary Hackney is our civilian of the quarter. Hackney has been a records technician since April 2013. She has since trained all the records technicians that have come into employment and was fundamental in getting new clerks ready for the implementation of a 24-hours Records Unit.
She is currently training a new clerk, yet still able to maintain her current responsivities of Public Records requests – equally a full time job in its own right. Hackney is always available to fill vacancies and keep herself updated on changes to procedures, policies and functions of the unit.
Citizens Cliff Eugene and Danielson Pharaud will receive a lifesaving award for the Feb. 21 rescue of a suicidal woman threatening to jump off the I-95 overpass at Gateway Boulevard. As Officer Vincent Mastro arrived to the scene, he observed two men holding the woman by her wrists, preventing her from jumping. As Mastro approached, he wrapped his arms around the woman’s torso and began to pull her back over the railing to safety. She grabbed hold of a light pole and yelled, “Just let me jump, I want to die.”
Eugene and Pharaud grabbed her arms and helped Mastro pull her back over the railing. Once safe and secure, the woman asked, “Why can’t this be my choice, just let me die.”
Eugene and Pharaud were the first to observe this suicidal woman. They immediately exited their cars and without hesitation took hold of her arms as she was standing on the edge of the overpass. If the woman decided to jump, her body weight could have caused one or both men to fall with her. Eugene and Pharaud’s selflessness is nothing short of heroic.